Taylor Swift fans flock to BC Place, days before Eras Tour lands in Vancouver

Security fencing is going up around BC Place stadium in preparation for the final days of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour this weekend, while dozens of Swifties gather nearby to feel the vibe and "breathe the same air as Taylor Swift."

Staff wearing security jackets off loaded fencing on Tuesday to install around the stadium for the Swift shows running from Dec. 6 to 8.

Fans posed for photos in front of Swift-themed decorations on the stadium grounds, including posters and large letters RED, referring to the title of the superstar's fourth studio album.

Vancouver Swiftie Dawn Duncan has tickets for Sunday's show but said she wanted to come to the stadium early.

"Breathing the same air as her is kind of cool, but yeah, it's super exciting. I think it'll be more exciting probably in the next couple of days when more people start to arrive."

Duncan, who was wearing her friendship bracelets that have become part of the fan phenomena of Swift, said her 13-year-old niece, will arrive from Saskatchewan on Wednesday to join her for the concert.

She said she's been changing her Ticketmaster password every day to ensure that no one will steal her tickets.

Helena Aguiar, who posed for a photo with a friend outside BC Place, said she has been listening to Swift's songs for at least a decade and managed to get two tickets for the Friday concert.

While the seats are behind the stage, she said she's looking forward to the show.

Aguiar said she expects Swift will announce something huge during the concert.

Some ticketless fans also stopped by the stadium to enjoy the moment.

Stewart Pressney and his girlfriend Katie Moore, from Vancouver's North Shore, said they don't have tickets, and didn't want to fall into well-publicized scams during their ticket-hunting journey.

Pressney said they have spotted 15 different scams; most of them involving people photoshopping screenshots of the Ticketmaster page and asking buyers to send them deposit money.

Moore said they plan to avoid the "crazy" downtown core this weekend and will instead spend time hanging out with friends and listening to Swift's songs.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.